Sunroof apparatus for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9321334-B2
Application number	US-201414478726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A sunroof apparatus for a vehicle includes a movable panel, a guide rail, a sliding member, a check mechanism restricting a movement of the movable panel in a front-rear direction in a case where the sliding member moves in a front direction of the vehicle in a fully closed state of the movable panel to bring the movable panel to a tilt-up state, a first member mounted to the sliding member, and a second member provided at said each edge portion of the movable panel in the vehicle width direction and being rotatably supported about an axis line extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. One of the sliding member and the first member includes a mounting recessed portion and the other of the sliding member and the first member includes a mounting projection fitted to the mounting recessed portion, the mounting projection restricted a movement in the front-rear direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sunroof apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a movable panel configured to open and close an opening formed at a roof of a vehicle;
a guide rail provided at each edge portion of the opening in a vehicle width direction and being extended in a front-rear direction of the vehicle;
a first sliding member connected to each edge portion of the movable panel in the vehicle width direction and movably provided along the guide rail, the first sliding member being driven to move by a drive source;
a check mechanism restricting a movement of the movable panel in a front-rear direction in a case where the first sliding member moves in a front direction of the vehicle in a fully closed state of the movable panel to bring the movable panel to a tilt-up state in which a rear portion of the movable panel is raised with a front portion of the movable panel as a fulcrum, the check mechanism releasing the restriction of the movement of the movable panel while maintaining the tilt-up state of the movable panel in a case where the first sliding member moves in the rear direction after moving further in the front direction in the tilt-up state of the movable panel;
a first member mounted to the first sliding member; and
a second member provided at said each edge portion of the movable panel in the vehicle width direction and being rotatably supported about a first axis line extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; wherein
the first member and the second member configured to engage with each other so that the first member and the second member integrally move with the movable panel, the second member rotating when the first sliding member further moves in the front direction of the vehicle in the tilt-up state by a pressing effect between the first member and the second member, the second member further rotating when the first sliding member moves in the rear direction of the vehicle in the tilt-up state thereafter by the pressing effect between the first member and the second member;
one of the first sliding member and the first member includes a mounting recessed portion;
the other of the first sliding member and the first member includes a mounting projection fitted to the mounting recessed portion in a moving direction of the first member from an upper side to downward in a vehicle height direction, the mounting projection restricted a movement in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; and
one of the first sliding member and the first member includes an engagement pawl retaining the mounting projection.

2. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an upward restriction portion restricting a movement of the first member from a lower side to upward in the vehicle height direction in a state where the mounting projection is fitted to the mounting recessed portion.

3. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the guide rail includes the upward restriction portion.

4. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first sliding member includes a front-rear direction restriction portion restricting a movement of the first member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

5. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the first sliding member includes a front-rear direction restriction portion restricting the movement of the first member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

6. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the first sliding member includes a front-rear direction restriction portion restricting the movement of the first member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first sliding member includes a width direction restriction portion restricting a movement of the first member in the vehicle width direction.

8. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the first sliding member includes a width direction restriction portion restricting the movement of the first member in the vehicle width direction.

9. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the first sliding member includes a width direction restriction portion restricting the movement of the first member in the vehicle width direction.

10. The sunroof apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the first sliding member includes a width direction restriction portion restricting the movement of the first member in the vehicle width direction.

11. The sunroof apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first member includes a first fixation member including a plurality of first cam teeth disposed at every predetermined angle around the first axis line that extends in the front-rear direction and formed in a projection and recess manner in a direction of the first axis line, the first member including a second fixation member that is disposed at a side of the first fixation member facing the second member and that includes an open portion configured to open a path to the first cam teeth and a locking portion configured to close the path to the first cam teeth, each of the open portion and the locking portion being disposed at the every predetermined angle around the first axis line, and
the second member is connected to be rotatable about the first axis line and includes a second cam tooth, the second cam tooth passing through the open portion to be pressed by one of the first cam teeth in a case where the first sliding member moves further in the front direction in the tilt-up state of the movable panel and being pressed by the locking portion in a case where the first sliding member thereafter moves in the rear direction so that the second cam tooth rotates by the predetermined angle to engage with the locking portion.

12. The sunroof apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the check mechanism maintains the movable panel in the tilt-up state while releasing the restriction of the movement of the movable panel in the front-rear direction until the movable panel returns to an initial restored state in a case where the first sliding member moves in the front direction in an open state of the movable panel, the initial restored state corresponding to a state in which the movable panel is shifted to the tilt-up state from the fully closed state,
the sunroof apparatus further including a restriction portion restricting the second cam tooth from being pressed by one of the first cam teeth until the movable panel returns to the initial restored state in a case where the first sliding member moves in the front direction in the open state of the movable panel, wherein
the second cam tooth is pressed by one of the first cam teeth in a case where the first sliding member moves further in the front direction in the initial restored state of the movable panel and is guided to the open portion in a case where the first sliding member thereafter moves in the rear direction so that the second cam tooth rotates by the predetermined angle to pass through the open portion.

13. The sunroof apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the check mechanism includes:
a guide block formed with an engagement groove and being provided at the guide rail; and
a rotation check including an engagement projection engageable with the engagement groove, the rotation check rotatably connected to said each edge portion of the movable panel in the vehicle width direction about a second axis line extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the rotation check restricting the movement of the movable panel when the first sliding member move

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Katsura Shintaro
• Fukada Ryuta

Classifications

• B60J7/024

  characterised by the height regulating mechanism of the sliding panel (B60J7/043 - B60J7/053 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60J7/0435 Primary

  pivoting upwardly to vent mode and moving at the outside of the roof to fully open mode · CPC title